…a boomer muses about life, change, joys, sorrows and freedom from the prison of corporate life.

The Beginning of Something Good?

Let me be clear, I’ve always enjoyed smoking, not because I’m a “slave” to nicotine, but rather because I take pleasure in the “ritual” of lighting up, inhaling, and holding a cigarette. It calms me, always has. And yes, I know it’s bad for me, but we each choose our vices. Some are addicted to drugs. Some eat themselves to death. Others become alcoholics. I do none of those things. So I’ve always believed, “judge not, that ye be not judged.” And I’m damned tired of people judging smokers!

But then I read this post on Grandad’s blog, “Head Rambles,” about him trying an electronic pipe and liking it. I was intrigued. I began to research “electronic cigarettes,” only to find hundreds of dealers and endless lists of people who had made the transition from tobacco. An “e-cig” looks, feels and smokes just like a real cigarette only without any of the over 4,000 poisonous substances and harmful chemicals found in real cigarettes, such as tar, carbon monoxide, acetone, sulfuric acid, etc. It operates on a battery (which looks like the body of the cigarette.) The tip lights up, but produces no fire. The “smoke” one inhales and exhales is actually water vapor. (Ah! No one whining about second hand smoke!)

After you buy a starter kit with batteries, atomizer, filters and recharger, all that’s left to buy are filter cartridges flavored to your tobacco choice. Or, you also have the option to buy “blank” filter cartridges and fill them with several drops of “E-liquid.” These come in a multitude of flavors, from menthol and Marlboro to vanilla, coffee, cherry, clove, chocolate – you name it!

I didn’t want to stop smoking. BUT, if I could have the experience of smoking without the cancer-causing chemicals, additives and tar of regular cigarettes, didn’t it make sense to at least try it? I decided it did. I ended up getting two different types of e-cigs, one that looks like a cigarette and one “pen style” which is black.

When they arrived, the first thing I had to do was charge the batteries eight hours. Fortunately, they include battery chargers into which you just screw the “cigarette” battery.

As I read the literature that came with the two different sets, I wondered if this would really work for me. One suggested that you occasionally smoke a real cigarette as you wean yourself away, and promised that, eventually you’d find the real ones tasting more like crap. (That’s exactly what it said!)

So, a couple of days ago, I began my experiment. My first impression was that the white cigarette felt a lot heavier than the real thing. Also, I had chosen “light” menthol, not realizing that I would have to draw harder on the e-cig to taste it. The black e-cig was thinner and longer, and has a mouthpiece which I like. The first day it was touch-and-go. I thought, “this isn’t like a real cigarette.” But, the second day I tried dropping several drops of vanilla e-liquid into the filter…and it was a whole different experience! My first thought was “Maybe I CAN get used to this.” It tasted nice. I was smoking, but there was no real smoke. I kept tapping the thing over an ashtray before I realized there was no ash because there was no fire. This was a cigarette that wouldn’t burn away if I went into another room to grab something. When I was doing something else, I could just put it into my pocket. The “pros” started piling up.

Of course, now the FDA is trying to get them blocked so that they can test the long-term effects, which is ironic since tobacco cigarettes are legal and we know the longterm effects of them! But since when didn’t the government try to get authority over everything?

Anyway, as for me, I’m cautiously optimistic. I’m finding my need for “real” cigarettes slowly diminishing. Today I only had three. This could really be a life-changing decision for me. Maybe even a life-saving one. We’ll see.

Advertisements

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

14 Responses

Hope this works for you. It’s not only healthier, but should prove to be more economical…until you-know-who finds out there is a limit to the taxes smokers will stand for and starts to pile the taxes on these devices.

Couple of questions:
1. Do you inhale with these, or just puff?
2. Did you run across a similar device for cigars?

I’ve seen thse at a kiosk at the mall and have just walked by but have wondered if they work. Never have seen anyone use one in public though. Or can you tell?

Taurus – I’m still “practicing” with these, but, in answer to your first question, one can inhale, in order to get the “throat hit” that cigarettes produce, but it takes more effort. Or, it may have to do with what “flavor” and strength liquid I put in the filter. Just puffing still produces the pseudo-smoke.

And yes, I know that among the hundreds of e-cig dealers I studied before buying, there were some which sold e-cigars and e-pipes. If I run across one again, I’ll send you the link.

Herself had to stay in hospital for a cuple of days, and being a scared dutiful husband, I spent most of my time with her. The two of us smoked happily away, her on her e-cig and me on my e-pipe. I was caught once, and showed the nurse what I was at – she had a great laugh and was delighted with the idea, and very impressed. At one stage, I sat in the corner of the cafeteria and happily had a ‘smoke’ and no one even noticed.

Because you can smoke them instantly [no lighting up], I developed tricks such as havig a quick ‘smoke’ in the lift [sorry – elevator] between floors, or a longer drag by taking the stairs. No tell tale smell of smoke!! At one stage, I had a grand ‘smoke’ in the room while the doctor was examining Herself. He never copped on.

I must confess, I am developing a taste, though my next experiment is to try different flavours. Vanilla in a pipe isn’t quite right somehow?

I’d be interested in how this goes as well, i have a smoker in the family.

When I read about them a few days ago, I was wondering why they produce “smoke” – the smoke does nothing for the “smoker,” right? But it would seem to make them sufficiently cigarette like to cause problems and require explanations.

Sher – I’m still experimenting with the different aspects of this thing, but once I really have it all mastered, I’ll do a follow-up! It’s like a whole new world. But I will tell you this – my “regular” cigarettes ARE starting to taste a lot different. Not as good.

Karen Anne – How to explain this to a non-smoker? The smoke (water vapor) is necessary for the smoker to “feel” like they’re really smoking. As for someone thinking someone is smoking a real cigarette – all the e-cig smoker would have to do is touch the end (flame) of the thing to their cheek! Good shock value! 🙂

Wow! First, hats off to you for trying to kick the habit. Second, thanks for the tip. Perhaps this is something that will work for the mother.

She “quit” again recently. Made it almost a month and then started again. While she has admittedly cut down, I won’t truly be happy ’til it’s zero. (I’m a very tolerant non-smoker, don’t support bans or sending people outside, but terribly concerned with the health risks.)

I’m afraid she will think this is “stupid” and like she does with most things that don’t immediately sound appealing to her, she wouldn’t even try it. So I’m hoping your experience can arm me with some good info. 🙂

Exellent post starsimplified! I have been using my electronic cigarette for over a month now with great success. I do not even have the urge to pick up a traditional cigarette any more. In fact I think I have cut down on my smoking.

I hope that everything goes well for you and you can quit. i feel that I am on the road to being nicotine free. Either way even if we just stick to the electronic cigarette we will be saving a crap load of money 🙂

It worked for me at least, so much that I started a company. I started smoking the ecigarette after I got out of the hospital for broncitis. A few weeks later I didn’t even smoke those. I miss them at times, but my health is more important to me. So give them a try if you haven’t yet.